Silver strings and Eggshell Hearts
by tamarindblue
Summary: It has been five years since Itachi went off the map, during which 'King of issues' as Naruto puts it, Sasuke Uchiha learnt to move on. He rocked like an engine, sang his heart out and built a career along with the dobe, Neji and the band. Yet, the knowledge of his brother's whereabouts and the sight of one girl are threatening to take all the walls he built around himself down.
1. Prologue

_**Silver strings and Eggshell hearts**_

"Can you tell me, Hina-chan, who is singing this song?"

"Naruto, of course" Hinata smiled with fondness "Now, let me finish the song"

* * *

He stands tall against a mirror he does not bother looking at, buttoning his mediocre shirt. It has been years and it is still the same, a sense of hurt, of betrayal still looms over whenever the memories are brought … and today is a day of reminiscence, livewire memories.

He could almost hear him, his voice .. deep as an ocean they crossed when they were younger, strong as the timbre they left home … he could hear him above the roars, roars he could quench with his voice, turn them to whispers of awe with a single note he utters.

 _'Sasuke, there is something I have to tell you, after this concert ends'_

Yet, he never showed up to the concert, nor did he show up afterwards

He should not care about him, anymore.

But what pains him is that he simply cannot.

"You are ready?" Kakashi alerts him, snapping him of the dark thoughts.

He nods

* * *

"And now, the final act … the one you have been waiting for so long .. ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present our Quasi band mate .."

"And resident Emo" Naruto lazily added to Neji's statement, causing the audience to erupt in laughter

"Ladies and gentlemen, Sasuke Uchiha"

He walks up the stage in heavy echoing steps

 _'Itachi, I will never forgive you'_

* * *

"What did you want to say?"

It was Hanabi's turn to shush her sister

"I want to listen to him, he is debuting a new song"

"Really?" She mock-asked

"I can't believe you don't listen to the guy"

"I do ... he is fine"

"Fine?" Hanabi said incredulously 'He is beyond fine by vast distance, he is a genius only matched by his own brother and occasionally cousin Neji, or is it just that you don't appreciate anyone's voice except Naruto's?!"

"Naruto is exceptional, his voice is sweet and cheerful …"

"You know, Neji is singing the harmonics' Hanabi cut her short, she knew if she left her, she would keep waxing poetics about the ray of sunshine … the exceptional vocalist, Naruto Uzumaki the great and honestly, she had no gall for it, she has heard it all before.

"I know, I can tell it is Neji's, with my eyes closed" She casually smiled "Not that it matters anyway"

They were moments, like this one which left Hanabi at loss for proper words.

"You have a knack for knowing stuff Hinata, whether you see them or don't"

"I don't see .. anything for what matters"


	2. A person of great Importance

_**A person of great importance**_

 _'I don't know where you are_

 _I think I will never know in this life_

 _If you have ever found the shelter and peace of your life_

 _I waited … and waited for you to come_

 _Years and years_

 _Oh, bygone years, that would now return to me,_

 _For once, just once, shall you return to me,_

 _And return back my bygone laughter,_

 _that rings still in the crooks of the old alleyways'_

Hinata was leaning against the pillow, whilst Hanabi was sprawled onto the nearby floor, sighing dreamily while clutching a similar cushion.

"Is not he a piece of work?"

She had to admit, this piece was good.

"Hinata" …"Hina"

She was deep in thought. That song it seems, has affected her, more than should be.

"Hinata"

"Yes, I am so sorry, where have we been?"

"Sasuke … What do you think?"

"I think this song is really good, heartfelt"

"Hinata, there is something I want to tell you"

There was a long pause afterwards that Hinata decided to dismiss

"I know You are leaving, along with father for a long business trip. Neji told me priorly"

"Look, Hinata … I am sorry" Hanabi turned her face away from her blind sister, she felt disgraced, ashamed of herself.

"Don't be silly, it isn't like you are leaving me alone for good, It is just a couple of months, Not the first time, is it?"

"Hinata-chan, I know that you feel lonely, you felt lonely your entire life … and now after he decided you should stay here , away from home, I certainly know you are not happy and I can't do anything about it, I never could"

"He had no choice, after Ko's demise and all those security threats, the burglary attempt, he had to and you know that Neji is so busy, his band .. the corporate and the record company, then all the inconvenience I would cause him and the unnecessary gossip. This is for the best"

"I …"

"You don't have to say anything, Hanabi. You have nothing to chastise yourself for, besides I am still Hyuuga. And Hyuugas afford the best of the best so It isnot like you are abandoning me in some destitute hospice like so many unfortunate people who can't get half as much care. This lavish hospice, I am getting used to and it is really a nice place, the doctors and staff. I have even made a few friends"

"Yes, the cute dark fellow over there .."

She could imagine Hanabi winking and she couldn't but roll her eyes

"and Sakura and Tsunade" Hinata resumed

"Anyway, Neji will come here like everyday or he will send his PA and I call you every day as well. Oh, I am gonna miss you so much"

"Me too, Hanabi"

"And, he sends his regards. He would come he said but after he finishes his work"

Hinata's head fell down … she knew he wouldnot come, he never does.

Hanabi threw her arms around her, buryinh her head into her shoulders

"I promise we will come ASAP"

"Just don't go around, making mischeive little sister"

Hanabi chortled raising her hands in mock chastity

"Like, I'd ever dare, I will see you soon"

"I wish you both a safe flight and a safe return"

* * *

He was prepared to leave, just slip by the crowd and mirth of his bandmates when suddenly the dobe broke out

"Teme .. where are going?"

Great, like Naruto would ever leave him in peace.

"Home .. dobe, you see I need to sleep"

"What?! Sleep ..c'mon mate, your song .. our song might have just broken a freaking damn record and you want to sleep"

"Yes"

"Sasuke, You should wait .. Neji wants to speak to you for a moment. In fact, he sent me to hold you back" Tenten, Neji's PA , secretary, friend but 'not my girlfriend, nor secret mistress goddamit' stated matter of fact "He will be here in a few seconds along with the rest of the guys"

"I am already here, thank you Tenten. Sasuke, a word alone ,please"

"Get it over with, Hyuuga. It isnot like any of you leave me any personal space"

By the time, the rest of the band members were already assembling: Shikamaru ,Lee ,Sai and the manager Kakashi.

"I think I found a lead on your brother, Itachi"

Everybody froze, everyone except Sasuke.

"I don't care, now let me off"

They were now staring at him with wide eyes, bewildered eyes

"It has been five years or so, most of which you have been literally tearing the corners of the earth apart looking for him, and now you say you don't care" Naruto incredulously cried

'Yes, I don't. He is gone, he isn't coming back, why should I care? Why should I fucking care?"

He has already turned around, and marched towards the exit in long strides

"Teme, wait"

And Naruto tailed after.

* * *

 _ **Ref. The verses above are an amalgamation of two famous songs**_


	3. Red eyes, White eyes, Nystagmus

**Red eyes, White eyes, Nystagmus**

Her eyes were white.

That was how she was diagnosed at two years old, retinoblastoma, bilateral.

No residual sight was left after EBR, cycles and cycles of chemotherapy ... What was left ... Regular checkups for recurrences and years of shadows and solitude.

Yet, what pains her most ... She has forgotten how her mother looked like.

The last vision she had ever seen was the face of her mother or so she thinks .. Yet, she no longer remembers, the features are delicate but fuzzy , almost there but never quite as sharp and she knows her mind might have cofabulated a great deal of details just to fill in for the lost pieces .

"Hinata-chan"

His voice brought her out of her musings

"Hinata-chan, are you alright?"

"Shu-sama, you are up so early"

"you know I am a morning person much like you, you are missing them already?"

"it isnot like they are always here with me all the time"

"but they were close"

"Neji is still here, he will be coming hereafter until they are back home"

"So, what do we do now?"

"well, I have nothing in mind" she replied

"Me too"

"Perhaps we should walk around just a wee bit, until we conjure up something to do, or get interested in something"

"Very well then, Shu-Ni"

* * *

He woke up with a grumpy mood, and the lest he needed was the dobe , Whom he so unwisely gave him the spare key, bombarding him with questions about his well-being.

"How are taking it, teme?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The news about your brother" Neji's impassive voice resumed

' _He brought the insufferable prick with him, Ms. PA is tagging along as usual'_

"I am doing just fine, case closed. I DON'T CARE about his whereabouts, Any other useful thing to talk about? I want to sleep."

"Tenten, please leave the documents on the table" Neji instructed "and let him in on the band's upcoming arrangements"

"Yes, Neji" She knelt towards the table leaving a meticulously organised file on the coffee table for him to read.

"Now, Sasuke-san ... we have an interview for the band this Thursday on SBS"

"I don't want to attend" he stated upfrontly.

"Well, you have to, so we could dispell the rumors that you will disband and that you are fighting amoung each other" Tenten countered

She now sat beside Neji and suddenly Sasuke was reminded of a scene long ago, when Izumi would help Itachi with his work, such a similar dynamic between them that it aches to see them together sometimes.

His eyes sore.

"I will see about that" Sasuke replied

Simultaneously, Both Boss and PA rose from their seating "We will see you around soon. Sasuke, Naruto" Neji nodded

Naruto kept eyeing him warily as he brewed his morning tea.

"What?" he gruffed

" Nothing"

"Don't you have something useful to do instead of staring at me all day, dobe?"

"I just like your pleasant company, mate" Naruto wryly replied "it wouldn't get you anywhere, you know"

"What is that?"

"Obstinancy. Sasuke, I know he hurt you but you need some closure. You need to find him and face him so you could get some peace"

"Kakashi is rubbing off on you pretty bad I see"

"Don't take me for a fool and divert from the main topic on hand"

"You are already a fool" Sasuke stated matter of fact "my issues aside, how about you? What did Tsunade say?"

"Nothing new, the dearies and more therapy sessions"

"You are getting better, it has been along while since you lapsed into a hypermania"

" Whatever" Naruto huffed "You know where your stuff are, you know about the interview, I need to pitch a new riff sequence to you"

" Very well, let's jam it and see"

* * *

Shu-ni was as closest to best friend as she could ever claim, despite how little she knows about him up til now.

He is a quiet man, a thinker .. Probably rich.

He must have seen much longer than her, he had retinitis pigmentosa after all

But mostly, he was lonely, nobody came to visit him and he barely sought anybody's company, except hers.

He was also a huge Konoha fan, listening and humming to their songs.

"Hinata-Chan, where have you been?"

"I have been thinking about you, you intrigue me, Shu-ni"

"Not as much as Naruto though"

She blushed like a tomato

"I bet you are blushing, now, if one can see it"

"I still can't believe Hanabi told you this" She said in a small voice

"Nevermind, he is a brilliant fellow, talented and I think he is super nice too"

"Neji-ni says he is, but he also says he is flamaboyant as well."

' _I know the kid is_ '

* * *

His eyes would travel all around the room, never focusing, they would dart everywhere except the table where the file lied.

God, how he wanted to hate him. Sasuke wished he could will himself into hating Itachi, for everything .. For being more talented, for being kinder, for being selfish ...

But mostly, for leaving him alone.

His hands trembled as his mind hesitated, should he reach for the papers or leave them?

'It is either this night or never' he resolved as he started to read

' _ **Akatsuki's Hospice for the blind'**_


End file.
